Thursday's Tip

Planning an affordable Disney World vacation involves three primary categories: resort, tickets, and food. There are definitely discounts available to help save money on your resort stay. Ticket discounts are a bit harder to come by, although they do exist for groups, special events, or if you're willing to purchase from an official outlet. But food...well, that's one area where you can make or break the budget.

I've offered a number of ways in the past that you can save money on food. Perhaps the most obvious is to bring your own. Some folks also swear by the Disney Dining Plan for savings (not necessarily best for families with young, picky eaters). Another way we save money is by eating some large meals off-site. Which leads to Thursday's Tip: sign up for restaurant email and rewards programs.

Orlando just happens to be the home to a few of our family's favorite restaurants that aren't here in Nashville: Chevy's, Sweet Tomatoes, and Bahama Breeze. All three of these eateries are just a short drive from various parts of the World. (Chevy's is Tex/Mex, Sweet Tomatoes is a soup/salad/bread buffet, and Bahama Breeze is island-inspired cuisine.) In the case of Chevy's and Sweet Tomatoes, we are almost always seated immediately. Also, having signed up online, I usually get coupons emailed every few weeks from both restaurants--sometimes BOGOs or at least several dollars off. Not quite as many for Bahama Breeze, but I have received a few through my Discover card (gift cards for BH are also among the Discover rewards choices).

Besides the obvious savings, sometimes it's nice to step away from the Magic for a moment and decompress. Feeding the kids something besides chicken nuggets and fries is just a bonus!